'Menace to the local community' - Crawley thief jailed after stealing motorbikes and mopeds to sell for cash
A Crawley thief who ‘repeatedly stole’ motorbikes and mopeds to sell for cash has been jailed, according to Sussex Police.
Police said 22-year-old Ronnie Beckett – of Hyndman Close, Crawley – was arrested ‘in relation to ten counts of theft and one of attempted theft’. The offences happened between June 13 and November 3, 2024.
A police statement – on October 15, 2026 – read: “A thief who repeatedly stole mopeds and motorbikes to sell on for cash has been jailed, following a police investigation.
"His crime spree took place across Crawley, Gatwick, Horsham and Redhill in Surrey, and on all bar two occasions, the thefts occurred at the victims’ workplaces.
"Beckett was linked to the thefts through diligent police work, which involved trawling through numerous hours of CCTV, taking multiple witness statements and acting on information and intelligence.”
Police said the thief was arrested, charged and brought before the courts.
He pleaded guilty to nine of the 11 charges, police said. The remaining two charges ‘are to remain on file’, the force revealed.
Beckett was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court, on September 24.
His individual prison sentences added up to six-and-a-half years, but were ordered to run concurrently. The longest individual sentence was two years, making his overall prison term 24 months long, police confirmed.
PC Michelle Robinson, of Gatwick CID, said: “We knew that Beckett had been a menace to the local community for quite some time; the difficulty was to prove it. Thanks to a team of dedicated officers, we were able to link him to several offences which he has now been convicted of in court.
“This result demonstrates our tenacity to target offenders and our commitment to seeking justice for victims. The vast majority of victims in this investigation had their vehicles stolen through no fault of their own, and they were severely impacted by their inability to travel to and from their place of employment.
“Thankfully, we were able to swiftly recover some of the stolen vehicles, however a lot of them required extensive repairs which of course is a further cost and hindrance to the owners.
“We know how vital this form of transport is to so many people in the local area, and I would encourage any victims of theft to continue to report it to us. We are here to help.”